After the vote: What happens now?

FOLLOWING THE declaration of the results of the fiscal treaty vote, written reports on the figures in each constituency are to be submitted to the referendum returning officer, Ríona Ní Fhlanghaile, a principal officer in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

She will then publish the provisional referendum certificate, stating the results of the voting and indicating that the proposal has been approved in Iris Oifigiúil (the Official Gazette), probably on June 8th.

A seven-day period follows in which any member of the electorate may apply to the High Court for leave to present a petition questioning the provisional certificate and appealing the result.

If there is no petition, or if such a petition is declared null and void, the Master of the High Court will confirm this to the referendum returning officer, and the certificate becomes final.

She will then inform President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Enda Kenny. The President then signs the 30th Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill 2012 into law and Article 29 of the Constitution is amended accordingly.

The treaty has to be ratified by at least 12 of the 17 euro zone countries before it comes into effect next January.

Ireland would then have a year to introduce the national legislation demanded by the treaty.